Efforts to improve photovoltaic (“PV”) devices or photovoltaic arrays, particularly to improve the connection, installation, and service of multiple devices are subject to continuing development within the PV industry. Of special interest are those PV devices that are integrated into building structures or fascia (e.g. roofing shingles, exterior wall surfaces, canopies, awnings), or stand alone PV systems (e.g. solar farms). To aid in their commercial and functional viability, they should satisfy a number of criteria. The individual arrays and the overall assembly (sometimes known as a kit) should be robust, that is they should be able to remain functional in a myriad of environmental conditions (e.g. heat, cold, wind, rain, snow, etc.). In the case of building structures, they should also not subject the building structure to overly adverse modifications due to their presence, such as multiple roof penetrations made to electrically connect and/or locate the plurality of arrays, resulting in the roof which could have to be subsequently sealed against leaks. The roof penetrations and/or extensive wiring can make installation time consuming and expensive. In either a building structure or stand alone PV system, the relative ease of installation provided by the present invention can be advantageous. Furthermore, when an array component (e.g. a single panel and/or a sub-component such as a bypass diode) does become damaged or needs to be replaced, it can be valuable to have a system that allows easy replacement of the array component or sub-component.
Among the literature that can pertain to this technology include the following patent documents: US20080190047(A1); U.S. Pat. No. 4,321,416; U.S. Pat. No. 5,575,861; U.S. Pat. No. 5,437,735; U.S. Pat. No. 5,990,414; U.S. Pat. No. 6,840,799; EP1744372; U.S. Pat. No. 6,875,914; U.S. Pat. No. 5,590,495; U.S. Pat. No. 5,986,203; US2008/0115822; EP1923920; U.S. Pat. No. 7,365,266; US20070295393 A1; US20070295392 A1; and WO 2008/139102, U.S. Provisional Application Nos. 61/050,341 (filed 5 May 2008); 61/098,941 (filed 22 Sep. 2008); 61/149,451 (filed 3 Feb. 2009), and PCT Applications filed concurrently for international filing Nos. PCT/US2009/042492; PCT/US2009/042496; and PCT/US2009/042522 filed concurrently with the present application, all incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.